So this week was a quick one.
Monday we were in Puerto de la Cruz which is in the north of the island. It's super beautiful over there. But we were there only briefly, on Tuesday we had zone conference.
Monday we were in Puerto de la Cruz which is in the north of the island. It's super beautiful over there. But we were there only briefly, on Tuesday we had zone conference.
And we got to La Laguna on Tuesday where we had zone conference. It was a really good conference. I'm going to miss the Packs although it will only be for one transfer haha. They are great and so loving. They really do care about each and everyone of their missionaries.
And then we come back home and we did weekly planning. And we had piso checks over video call. That was a new experience. It was funny trying to show the senior couple the baseboards and such over video call because I basically just had to describe to them how it was by answering their questions haha. It was hard to see in the video. But we passed without a problem (I know you're proud mom).
Also, side note. Our gas went out on Sunday and we were gone in the north until Tuesday evening. Gas = being able to cook and have hot water haha. Thankfully we got gas back on Wednesday morning right when we needed it they saved us. (They bring a big butane tank that you use for about a month, it's like a propane tank).
On Wednesday we also went to Granadilla. We met with some of our friends there. We did a question and answer about missionaries and what life will be like for their daughter as a missionary. The first question was what happens if we miss the last bus, how do we get home. And we laughed about calling members to help us get home. And we actually did end up missing the bus home and forgetting about the time the bus left... the father (Angelp took us to San Isidro to get the bus home. And we found out how much his family to everything to him which we didn't know before.
(And in Granadilla we actually were in the clouds haha, the town is so high up that clouds surrounded us and it was like it was raining/misty so that was cool).
(And in Granadilla we actually were in the clouds haha, the town is so high up that clouds surrounded us and it was like it was raining/misty so that was cool).
On Saturday:
We headed out to Guargacho to meet with Lily. It's been 20ish days since the last time we met. It was kind of an awkward lesson. We were outside at the park and there were a lot of people because someone had died and there was a viewing going on at a nearby building...and the hearce went by right in front of us to pick up the casket haha. We taught her about faith and how to strengthen her faith. She has a lot of questions and she doesn't know if God exists. We are trying to help her where she is at.
We headed out to Guargacho to meet with Lily. It's been 20ish days since the last time we met. It was kind of an awkward lesson. We were outside at the park and there were a lot of people because someone had died and there was a viewing going on at a nearby building...and the hearce went by right in front of us to pick up the casket haha. We taught her about faith and how to strengthen her faith. She has a lot of questions and she doesn't know if God exists. We are trying to help her where she is at.
On Sunday:
Church. Fast and testimony meeting. And I got to translate in Spanish to english for an English couple haha. That was interesting with some of the testimonies today. Imagine broken Spanish in Italian as well as various other Spanish accents (especially Venezuelan and canarian) and that's what I was translating. So it got interesting at times but I made things work out and tried to let it flow. Sometimes I didn't catch exactly what they were saying and I had to make something up to make it fit haha.
Church. Fast and testimony meeting. And I got to translate in Spanish to english for an English couple haha. That was interesting with some of the testimonies today. Imagine broken Spanish in Italian as well as various other Spanish accents (especially Venezuelan and canarian) and that's what I was translating. So it got interesting at times but I made things work out and tried to let it flow. Sometimes I didn't catch exactly what they were saying and I had to make something up to make it fit haha.
Currently in the scriptures I'm reading at the part right before Jesus Christ comes to the Americas. It's interesting because there were a lot of "signs" that Jesus Christ was born and signs of his crucifixion in the Americas but there were still people who didn't believe.
3 Nefi 9:3-4:
3 And the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land.
4 And there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people, notwithstanding so many signs had been given.
3 And the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land.
4 And there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people, notwithstanding so many signs had been given.
The prophet Samuel had told the people to repent and prophesied about Jesus coming and many people had rejected him. And what he prophesied was fulfilled but still some people didn't believe him. It just shows to me that sometimes, seeing really isn't believing. But having an open heart and being willing to look towards God in faith or trust that He will fulfill His promises...that is believing. But the mire act of seeing a sign doesn't created faith.
Faith as Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - it's a trust in things we don't know yet with a surety but we have enough evidence to choose to believe (or not).
I know that Jesus Christ is our savior and that because of Him, He has made it possible so that we can live with our Heavenly Father and Him again. It is thanks to Christ that we can have happiness and that we can continue on with our lives and trusting that everything else will work out and work together for our good.
Have a wonderful week!
With care,
Elder Openshaw
Elder Openshaw
1) Elder Gil and I - I trained elder Gil in Lugo and he trained elder Ethington
2) us with the Puerto elders
3) our view from piso
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